NCHHSTP

Native Hawaiians and Other Pacific Islanders

Health disparities are differences in the incidence, prevalence, and mortality of a disease and the related adverse health conditions that exist among specific population groups. These groups may be characterized by gender, age, race or ethnicity, education, income, social class, disability, geographic location, or sexual orientation. These health disparities are one reason why HIV/AIDS, viral hepatitis, STDs, and TB take a greater toll in one population group over another. Find information about how these diseases affect Native Hawaiian and other Pacific Islander populations.

HIV/AIDS

In 2014, Native Hawaiian/other Pacific Islanders’ estimated rates of HIV per 100,000 population in the United States for both males (22) and females (3.5) exceed their white counterparts (males 12.6, females 1.7).

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Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STD)

Gonorrhea

Photo of Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander family In 2014, the gonorrhea rate among Native Hawaiians/Other Pacific Islanders was 102.1 cases per 100,000 population, which was 2.7 times the rate among whites. This difference is similar for Native Hawaiians/Other Pacific Islander women and Native Hawaiians/Other Pacific Islander men. In 2014, rates among Native Hawaiians/Other Pacific Islanders were lower in the West than in the Midwest, Northeast, and South.

Chlamydia

In 2014, the chlamydia rate among Native Hawaiians/Other Pacific Islanders was 625.1 cases per 100,000 population, a decrease from the 2013 rate of 633.3 cases per 100,000. The overall rate among Native Hawaiians/Other Pacific Islanders was 5.6 times the rate among whites.

Syphilis

In 2014, the rate of primary and secondary (P&S) syphilis among Native Hawaiians/Other Pacific Islanders was 6.5 cases per 100,000 population. The 2014 rate of P&S syphilis for Native Hawaiians/Other Pacific Islanders was 1.9 times the rate for whites. This disparity was similar for Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander women (1.6 times the rate among white women) and Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander men (1.8 times the rate among white men).

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Viral Hepatitis

**Viral hepatitis surveillance collects Pacific Islander data with Asian data.**

Acute Hepatitis A

Photo of Hawaiian girl Although rates of acute hepatitis A among Asian/Pacific Islanders have continued to decline, this group has had the highest rate since 2008. In 2014 the rate of hepatitis A for Asian/Pacific Islanders was 0.73 per 100,000 population in 2014.

Acute Hepatitis B

In 2014, the rate of acute hepatitis B was lowest for Asian/Pacific Islanders and Hispanics (0.29 cases per 100,000 population for each group).

Chronic Hepatitis B

In 2014, among the 1784 cases for whom race/ethnicity was known, Asian/Pacific Islanders accounted for the highest number of chronic HBV cases (n=1,784, 60%) reported from all 7 funded sites.

Acute Hepatitis C

Rates for acute hepatitis C decreased for all racial/ethnic populations through 2003. During 2002–2011, the incidence rate of acute hepatitis C remained below 0.5 cases per 100,000. The rate increased to 0.6 cases per 100,000 population in 2012 and to 0.7 cases per 100,000 population in 2013 and 2014. In 2014 Asian/Pacific Islanders had the lowest rate for hepatitis C at 0.07 case per 100,000 population.